Rescue Me!
by netangel182
Summary: It's never easy for a new member to fit into Horatio's team, but when a feisty young CSI joins their ranks, sparks are going to fly in more ways than one
1. Author's Note Dislaimer

Ah, disclaimer, diclaimer, how boring. You all should know this by now, but I'm not Jerry Bruckheimer (no surprise there I'm sure) so yeah… I own nothing.

So I have seen most episodes of CSI: Miami now, but if I am wrong on any of my facts etc., let me know and I will try to make things work (and if I can't it's fiction for a reason right) I had this idea a few weeks ago for a story, then watched "Driven" and realized that it actually fits pretty well into the storyline so I'm going to give it a try. So if you know pretty much up to the fourth season you should be good to go.


	2. Chapter 1

Viola Turner took a deep calming breath as she stared up at the entrance to the Miami Dade crime lab. She tugged uncomfortably at the hem of the lightweight royal blue sweater that she had chosen to wear that morning. Though she knew little of Miami, she was quickly learning that her entire wardrobe was inappropriate for the weather. Checking her watch idly, she started, realizing that she was nearly late for meeting with her new supervisor, Lieutenant Caine. With one more second of hesitation, she hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and started up the stairs toward the doorway.

The bustle of the laboratory made her feel instantly at home. A crime lab, no matter where you are in the world, is sadly guaranteed to always be busy and a little chaotic, but that was the way that Viola liked things. She navigated the hallway carefully so as not to upset the flow of traffic and stopped in front of the reception desk. "Excuse me."

A young Hispanic woman greeted her with a smile. "Can I help you, miss?"

"I have an appointment with Lieutenant Caine," Viola replied, returning the woman's smile.

"He should be here any moment, please have a seat."

"No need," a voice spoke up behind her just as she had started for the row of chairs that lined the wall. Viola spun around and found herself face to face a redheaded man. "I am Horatio Caine, what can I do for you?"

She held out her hand. "I am Viola-"

"Turner," Horatio finished, taking her hand. "Yes, our newest member. I'm very sorry that I am late."

"Not a problem."

"I have a quick moment if you would like me to show you around," he offered.

Viola shrugged slightly. "All due respect, sir, but I am not a tourist. I would just as soon get to work."

Horatio thumbed his sunglasses and shot her a crooked grin. "I was hoping that you would say that. Let me show you to the locker room to set down your things."

Just outside the door to the locker room, Horatio's phone vibrated at his side and he excused himself, motioning for her to enter. She walked down the row of lockers, a smile pulling at her lips when she saw her name. It was only a label attached just above the latch, but the small gesture made her feel more at home. Without wasting any time, she hooked her bag inside and dug through it for her gun. She was just attaching the clip to the waist of her khaki pants when Horatio entered the room.

"Before I forget." He tossed something in her general direction and she caught it easily, smiling when she realized it was a badge. "You may need this. Please, come with me."

Ryan wasn't particularly paying attention as he walked to toxicology. He was just coming off a night shift, a favor which he was sorely regretting, and had at least eight more hours before he would be able to go home and relax. His head was throbbing from spending the last hour with Cooper in the A/V lab listening to the same twenty seconds of tape over and over trying to find one scrap of evidence that they had missed. Not to mention the fact that they had run out of coffee in the breakroom and he didn't have the time or energy to go out for a cup. Needless to say, he was grumpy and ready to take his aggression out on the nightshift toxicology technician who was already backlogged. The last thing that he needed was for Horatio to call from across the room.

Frustrated, he set his jaw and walked up to his boss. Trying his best to sound pleasant. "What's up, H?"

"Ryan Wolfe, meet Viola Turner."

Only then did Ryan notice the woman standing beside him. Had he not been exhausted, he would have probably noticed her much earlier. She stood only an inch or two short of Horatio and had her auburn hair pulled neatly off of her face. Her green eyes were almost shocking and Ryan started when he realized that they were staring right at him. He pursed his lips and nodded at her before turning his attention back to his boss expectantly.

"Show Miss Turner the ropes, please," Horatio commanded and started for the elevator.

Ryan hung his head and sighed. If he was not mistaken, he was just appointed as a tour guide on top of everything else. He was pulled back to reality when he heard the click of heels on the cement floor. He looked up to see Viola walking in the general direction of the tox lab. He couldn't help the smirk that pulled at his lips as he watched her walk away.

"Enjoying the view?" A hand landed on Ryan's shoulder and he chuckled as Eric followed his line of sight and gave a low whistle. "That the new girl?"

Ryan nodded but then furrowed his brow at the Cuban. "Wait, what new girl? You knew we were getting a new girl?"

"Sure, some behavioral anthropologist from the Midwest."

"You've got to be kidding me. Just what we need around here, another lab rat who knows nothing about being out in the field." Ryan said with a groan before he realized that Viola was nearly at the end of the hallway and staring back at him expectantly. "I should get Mr. Hartley's tox report. Catch ya later."

Viola was becoming more and more frustrated by the minute as she waited for Ryan to catch up to her. Drumming her hand unconsciously on the new badge affixed to her waist she finally followed him into a glass-enclosed lab. A quick glance around and she realized that they had entered a toxicology lab, and that it the technician behind the computer was more than frazzled.

"Please tell me that you have something for me, Mitchell, I've been waiting more than two hours for Mr. Hartley's panel." Ryan crossed his arms over his chest, the dark green blazed he wore stretching across his shoulders.

The tech sighed. "If you haven't noticed, I'm a little backed up here Wolfe. You'll get the results when you get them alright."

"Listen, if we don't get something from you in the next hour, the girlfriend walks and we are back to square one." Ryan hung his head and stalked back to the door before he realized that Viola was still standing there in stunned silence. He shook his head and left the room without another word.

Viola watched him until he disappeared from view and turned back to Mitchell. "Is he always this pleasant?"

The tech flashed the first smile since she had entered the room. "Believe it or not, he's actually nice guy. I blame the double shift. Can I help you with something?"

"Actually, I was about to ask you the same thing." She walked closer to the table and scanned the tubes of blood on the end of the table. "How would you like a hand getting through these?"

"You up to date on your proficiencies?" Mitchell looked at her skeptically.

"Of course."

He looked like he could nearly hug her as she grabbed a lab coat from the hook and got to work beside him.

The smell of coffee pulled Ryan back to reality. It took him a moment to regain his bearings and he groaned when he realized that he was slouching in one of the chairs in the breakroom, his neck stiff from sleep. He cringed when he heard a decidedly feminine giggle coming from across the room.

"You get a nice nap?"

The southern accent was unmistakable and he relaxed slightly as Calleigh crossed the room and handed him a steaming cup of coffee. "You're an angel, thank you. How long have I been asleep?"

"I'm not sure. Long morning already?" she asked.

He took a sip of the hot liquid and gave a sigh of relief. "More like long night."

"You're working a double?" Calleigh didn't need an answer really, one look at the circle under his eyes told her she was right. "Go home and get some sleep, Ryan. We can handle things here."

At that moment the door swung open and Eric walked in, making a beeline for the coffee. He poured himself a cup and joined them on the couch, quickly picking up the conversation. "Yeah, go ahead. I just finished my paperwork. Calleigh and I can handle the Hartley case."

"Nah," Ryan shrugged them off and took another sip of coffee. "It would be an open and shut case if I could ever get the tox panel back. Then we can charge the girlfriend with drugging him and close the case."

"They didn't have enough evidence to hold the girlfriend," Eric offered hesitantly. "H had to let her go ten minutes ago."

Ryan cursed under his breath and slammed his coffee down. Then, as if the caffeine had finally reached his brain, he scanned the room before hanging his head. "Have any of you seen Viola? I told H I would show her around."

"The brunette?" Calleigh asked. Both men nodded. "She was in tox when I dropped off a blood sample a few minutes ago."

Viola stretched her arms above her head as she removed the lab coat and returned it to the hook. She reached for a clear folder that sat on the table and smiled with satisfaction at the diminished pile of samples waiting to be processed. "I should get these results to Wolf before he has a coronary. You going to be alright?"

"I'm nearly caught up now thanks to you," Mitchell replied. "I owe you one."

"Just doing my job," she replied with a smile before turning on her heal and exiting the lab. After a bit of searching, she found Ryan sitting in the breakroom. Hesitantly she walked into the room.

"There you are," Ryan started, getting to his feet as Viola neared the group. "Listen, I'm sorry about before. I just-"

Viola cut him off by handing him the file. She knew the type well, a cocky cop with an agenda, and she wanted nothing to do with it. Instead she turned back toward the door without a word.

"You waited for the tox panel?" Ryan was confused as he read the label on the folder.

Frustrated, she turned back to him. "No I did the tox panel."

"Are you even qualified to do that?"

Viola rolled her eyes and stalked back to him. "For you information, I have a degree in biochemisty and am up to date in all necessary proficiencies to work in this lab. And once you read the panel you will see that all levels in the blood were normal, so you are barking up the wrong tree. So if you don't mind, perhaps we should shift focus and find out who killed this man. What do you say?"

"I like this girl already," Calleigh spoke up, breaking the tense silence. "I'm Calleigh by the way, and this is Eric Delko. You must be Viola Turner."

Viola smiled at the two of them, eager to get her attention away from Ryan. "Nice to meet you."

"Ok, let's go to the layout room and run the case. Maybe with fresh eyes we will see something that got missed," Eric suggested.

Thirty minutes later, Ryan and Calleigh had recounted every minute detail of evidence on the case and Viola was staring at a menagerie of digital photos on the screen in front of her.

"And Alex is sure that cause of death was asphyxiation?" Eric asked, looking over the coroner's report.

"Positive," Calleigh replied.

"So, with no visible marks, poison seemed to make sense," Ryan concluded, leaning on the table. "It's the only thing that seemed to make sense."

Something on the victim's neck suddenly caught Viola's attention. "Did the ME take ultraviolet photos?"

"It was our last resort, but they're on their way up. Why, what do you see?" Calleigh asked as the three approached the screen.

"There," Viola pointed to a slight discoloration on a close up of the victim's neck. "Does that look like a thumb to you?"

"Subcutaneous bruising?" Ryan asked.

"Nice catch Viola, I'll check with Alex." With that Eric was out the door.


	3. Chapter 2

"We have bruising!" Eric called out as he darted into the layout room with a folder in his hand. He tossed the pictures onto the table and the other three closed in one them.

"Those are too big to be the girlfriend," Calleigh commented, examining the scale on the photo.

Ryan narrowed his eyes and stared at the picture. He held up his hand against the scale for a moment before something clicked. "The brother. It's gotta be."

Thumbing through the paperwork, Eric shrugged his shoulders. "He is the sole beneficiary on the life insurance."

"We checked him out already," Calleigh interrupted. "He has an alibi."

"A good one?" Eric asked.

"It's time to find out," Ryan said, heading for the door. "I'm brining him in for questioning again."

Ryan bolted down the hallway in search of Tripp, nearly running into Horatio in the process. "Do you have news Mr. Wolfe?"

"A hunch, we're bringing the brother in."

"I'd like Miss Turner to be in that interview please."

Ryan stared at him in confusion. "H, I can handle it."

"I know that Mr. Wolfe," Horatio responded patiently. "Nevertheless, take her with you."

As Horatio walked away, Ryan let out a frustrated sigh and doubled back to the layout room to find Viola.

An hour later, Viola silently followed Ryan out of the interrogation room, leaving Mr. Hartley's brother with Tripp. They joined Horatio and Calleigh behind the two way mirror. Ryan focused on the other two, but Viola kept her attention on the brother, scrutinizing his every move.

"We got our guy," Ryan said with confidence. "His alibi is shaky and as the sole beneficiary he definitely has motive."

Viola finally tore her attention from the window and spoke up softly. "That man didn't kill anyone."

"What are you talking about? He all but confessed in there," Ryan said through gritted teeth, reeling on her.

Viola stood her ground. "I didn't hear anything that resembled a confession."

"Actions speak louder than words," Ryan murmured.

"I couldn't agree more. And that man's actions are not an indication of his guilt. I would not be so quick to judge something which you have no expertise. You may just end up putting an innocent man behind bars."

Ryan shook his head and turned to Horatio. "He is guilty H. Trust me."

"Horatio, this is why you hired me," Viola said, locking eyes with her boss. "I know behavior and that man did not kill his brother."

"We have nothing to hold him on yet," Horatio finally replied. "Viola, take Eric and get back to the crime scene. See if we missed anything."

Viola nodded and excused herself.

Ryan went to follow her, but Horatio's voice stopped him.

"Mr. Wolfe, when was the last time that you slept?"

He shrugged, there was no point in lying to his boss. "About 26 hours ago."

"Here's what I need you to do, Ryan," Horatio said, resting a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Go home and get a few hours' sleep. We can handle things here without you for a few hours."

"H, this is my case I-"

"You are no good to me if you are not on your toes. Get some rest. I'll page you if there are any developments." Without giving Ryan time to protest Horatio left the room.


	4. Chapter 3

Viola groaned as she felt a drop of sweat trickle down her back. The power in the Hartley house had been shut off and she was dying in the stifling heat as she tried to concentrate on scanning the scene. She deflated when she glanced over at Eric, who seemed incredibly comfortable in his chino pants and whit button down shirt.

With a sigh, she crossed the room to where he stood. "Would it be incredibly unprofessional of me to take off my sweater?"

Eric's head shot up and he cocked a crooked grin at her.

"I have a tank top on," she said quickly.

He chuckled and nodded. "Go ahead, Calleigh does it all the time."

She pulled the offending wool over her head and let out a sigh of relief as the air caressed the bare skin on her arms. Finally comfortable in the sleeveless v-neck tank top that she had worn under her sweater, she started back across the room, searching for any clue that she could find. She was crouched on the floor examining under the couch when Eric's phone broke the silence.

Ryan's eyes popped open as the piercing ring of his cell phone broke the silence in the bedroom. He stretched quickly and reached for the phone, squinting at the clock as he tried to focus his eyes. He had only been asleep for three hours, but as the sleep faded, he felt revived. With one more ring, he flicked open his phone. "Wolfe."

Ten minutes later, Ryan was behind the wheel of his hummer, showered and dressed, heading toward the address he had hastily scribbled down. There was another crime scene, only six blocks from where Mr. Hartley's body had been found and the same M.O. He couldn't help but feel a little smug. If Horatio hadn't listened to that new girl, the brother would not have had a chance to kill again. He was right.

No matter how many times Viola saw a dead body, the sight still gave her chills. Glancing over the medical examiner's shoulder at the cloudy eyes of Mr. Hartley's brother, a queasy feeling came over her.

"Well the brother didn't do it. Looks like you were right," Eric said.

She sighed. "This is one time that I wish I wasn't."

He came up beside her and held out a piece of paper for her. Viola quickly sheathed her hands with gloves and took it. _'Were you looking for me?'_ She swallowed hard. "He's showing off."

Eric nodded and bagged the note carefully. "I'll get this to handwriting analysis."

"Lets get started, shall we?" Viola set down her kit and started to clear a path through the room.

Ryan felt deflated when he ducked under the crime tape and glanced at the body Alex was bent over. He had not been right after all. He stared at the body incredulously. He was so sure that he had killed his brother.

The snap of a shutter brought him back to reality. He glanced up to see Viola squatting a few feet away, meticulously measuring and documenting the blood spatter. When she noticed Ryan, she locked eyes with him.

"Please don't say I told you so," he said quietly.

Viola shook her head. She stood, lowering her camera. "There's a clear path to the right of the body."

Ryan nodded and slowly made his way over to her. "What can I do?"

"I think that I have this room covered," she said, glancing around. The only real evidence she could see was a blood trail leading into the bedroom. "Maybe Eric could use some help back there."

"Sounds good," Ryan said, readjusting the camera strap on his shoulder as he started for the bedroom door.

Calleigh rushed through the lab, clutching a file in her hand. Taking a sharp left, she jerked open the door to the print lab. Eric, Ryan and Viola all stood staring at the computer screen as it quickly scanned through AFIS. "What's this?"

"A partial Ryan found on the headboard," Eric replied, not taking his eyes off the screen.

Calleigh smiled at them. "Well I may have something that will help. I matched the bullet Alex recovered from David Hartley and it's an exact match to the through and through that you recovered from William Hartley's crime scene."

"Well that doesn't help much, we already know that they were killed by the same person," Ryan said absently, watching the prints scan.

"It gets better," Calleigh continued. "The bullets are a match to a 9mm used in a car jacking last month."

"Please tell me that the registered owner was listed." The boys attention quickly turned from the screen to Calleigh.

"It was indeed-"

"James Aaronson," Viola finished for her.

All eyes turned to the screen as a Florida ID popped up with the words positive match flashing over them in green.

Ryan cocked a smile. "Let's go pay Mr. Aaronson a visit then, shall we."

"I'll get Tripp and meet you at the hummer," Eric said, taking off in the other direction.

"Calleigh-"

"I'll tell H and get the paperwork in order," the blonde replied.

Ryan nodded and trotted toward the parking lot. He slowed his pace slightly when he heard the steady click of heels on the tile behind him. He didn't need to turn to know who was following him. She was persistent, he would give her that. Just as he reached for the handle of the driver's door, he turned around so that he was face to face with Viola. "What exactly do you think that you are doing?"

"I'm coming with you," she stated simply, reaching for the rear door.

Ryan set his jaw and held the door closed with the palm of his hand. "No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

Eric approached the hummer hesitantly. "Everything alright."

"Just fine," Viola said sweetly, taking advantage of the report she had built with Eric earlier. "We should probably get going."

"Mount up, Wolfe," Eric trotted around the vehicle, stopping only momentarily to throw his kit in the back. "We've got a bad guy to catch."

As soon as the car stared, Ryan turned on the siren and cranked the music. The last thing that he wanted to do was argue anymore. He had been in such a good mood when he woke from his nap, but an unsettling feeling had taken root in his stomach and he didn't like it.

Viola lowered her window, tapping on the frame along with Ryan's music as the sticky Miami air blew through her curls. She was pleasantly surprised at the choice in music. With all that she knew of Ryan thus far, she would have anticipated angst ridden Goth music. Instead the mellow chords of Snow Patrol filled the air. She closed her eyes, partially to enjoy the music and partially to keep from getting nauseous as Ryan weaved through traffic on the causeway.

They arrived on the scene just as Tripp and a uniformed officer pulled up to the curb from the other direction. The three CSIs hopped out of the hummer and crossed to road to meet up with them.

"Did you get the warrant?" Eric called.

Tripp held up a piece of paper and nodded. "Yep, let's go talk to him."

They all started to advance on the house, but Viola felt a hand on her arm. "Stay with the car until we clear the scene, Turner."

"You're kidding me right?" Viola hadn't intended for it to be so loud, but her frustration with Ryan was growing to a boiling point again.

Ryan stared her down. "You did good today and I don't doubt that you are a good CSI, but this guy is dangerous. Would you please just stay put until we clear the house?"

"No!" That was the straw that broke the camel's back. "Look, I am an officer, just like you. And the sooner that you get that through your thick skull, the sooner we can get this guy behind bars where he belongs!"

Ryan was about to respond when a gunshot rang out and the window of the police car they were standing beside shattered, sending glass everywhere. Viola cringed as she felt a burning sensation in her cheek and arm, but she didn't let it faze her, reaching instead for the .45 at her belt. She scanned the area quickly and caught the glint of a barrel in an open second floor window. The others were too close to the house to notice, but Viola took aim

Ryan started toward her, not even drawing his gun. "You're hit-"

"Wolfe, get down!" But it was too late. Another shot rang out and Wolf fell to the ground. Eric bolted back toward them, already calling for a medical unit while the officer and Tripp bolted into the house. Viola ducked behind the trunk of the squad for cover, took quick aim and squeezed off three rounds. There was a frantic popping of gunfire and Viola vaguely heard Tripp call out the all clear before a myriad of rescue vehicles and SWAT tore down the street.

Horatio heard the officer down call as he was coming off another scene. He recognized Eric's voice immediately and cranked the hummer around speeding toward the scene. When he arrived, he ducked under the crime tape and made a beeline for where Eric stood. "What happened here, Eric?"

Viola sat on the back bumper of one of the ambulances, in spite of her protests, with a paramedic bustling around in the vehicle behind her. She stared idly at the second story window which she had been shooting at only moments earlier, which now had a dead body behind it. Better him than one of the team, but it was still unsettling to take a life

"This may hurt a little," the paramedic said as he took a seat beside her.

Tears stung her eyes and she turned her head as the medic pulled the first of many shards of the police window glass from her upper arm. Across the scene, she frowned as she saw Ryan being loaded into another ambulance. Luckily, the bullet had only grazed his shoulder, but the gash was serious enough to require further medical attention. He made eye contact with her and gave a tight lipped smile before the doors closed and the ambulance drove off.

"Some of these are pretty deep," the paramedic spoke up, pulling her from her trance. He pulled another shard, this one from her cheek and she sucked in a quick breath. "You are going to need a few stitches."

"Can you do them here please," Viola asked, trying her best not to move as he worked. "I have a crime scene to process."

"No you don't."

She jumped as Horatio came around the corner and leaned against the open ambulance door. "H, I can handle this scene."

"I know you can," he replied. "But I can't let you. Calleigh and Eric will take care of it."

Viola hung her head and pulled her gun from its holster, handing it to him. "I bet you need this too."

"County policy requires an IAB investigation in any officer involved shootings. I will get this back to you as soon as I can, alright?"

She nodded, but gasped again as the paramedic pulled another piece of glass.

"That's the last of it," he announced, bandaging her wounds quickly. "Now I'd like to get you to the hospital."

She sighed. "I'd really prefer not to."

Horatio smiled. "I'll take you."

Viola followed him reluctantly to the hummer and hopped into the passenger seat. Horatio expertly maneuvered the truck away from the crime scene and onto the highway.

"You are having quite the first day," he commented as he concentrated on the road.

"It hasn't been dull, I'll give you that," she said with a smile. "Is it always so hard for a new member of your team?"

"Have they been that rough on you?" Horatio asked genuine concern evident in his voice as he pulled up to a red light.

She bit her lip and shrugged him off. "Nah, it's just… I get the impression that certain members of the team don't want me here."

"Ah, Mr. Wolfe I presume." Horatio didn't wait for her to reply before continuing. "I'm afraid that you caught him on a particularly rough day. Just give him time."

"Right," Viola replied. She was highly skeptical.

Ryan was getting antsy by the time that Horatio showed up in the emergency room. After spending nearly ten minutes trying to convince the doctors that all he needed was a few stitches and a sling, but they insisted on holding him to ensure that his wound was only superficial. All he wanted to do was get out of the hospital and back to the crime scene. He needed to find the proof that Jack Aaronson had killed the Hartley brothers, for his own sanity if nothing else.

"How are you feeling, Mr. Wolf?"

He sat up a little straighter when Horatio entered the room. "I'm just fine H. It was only a graze."

"Glad to hear it," Horatio said with a smile. "I want you to take a few days off to get healed."

Ryan nodded. "IAB?"

"Yes indeed," Horatio replied flatly. "Mr. Wolfe, I am going to need your weapon."

"Delko bagged and tagged it already." Ryan paused. "H, you aren't going to need it. I never even got a shot off."

"You don't need to worry about that right now, alright," Horatio replied quickly. "We'll get everything straightened out. Right now I need you to let them take care of that arm and then get some rest."

"Is Viola alright?" Ryan wasn't sure what had possessed him to ask the question, but the words came out before he even realized it.

Horatio smiled. "She's getting a few stitches. She's quite the stubborn woman."

"That much I have noticed."

"So I understand. Eric mentioned an argument before the shooting started."

"All I wanted was to keep her out of harm's way," Ryan defended. "The scene wasn't clear and he was armed and dangerous."

"Do me a favor and stop by my office when you get back to the lab," Horatio said, standing and patting Ryan on the foot before he turned to leave. "Take your time."

Viola never realized how painful stitches could be until she left the hospital and her arm was throbbing. She stuffed the codeine that the doctors gave her into her pocket. She was on her way back to the lab and the last thing that she wanted was to have drugs in her system. She could deal with the pain. Once she got back to the lab, she nearly ran into Calleigh.

"I've got good news," the southerner said as Viola matched her steps toward the ballistics lab. "Eric found enough of the bullet that shattered to car window to match it to the other two crime scenes. This case is closed."

"Good," Viola sighed. "If only we could have put him on trial."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up over it. He shot first. You did the right thing."

"Yeah," Viola replied.

Ryan wandered aimlessly for a moment before spotting Eric in the layout room, he didn't feel up to seeing Horatio just yet. He changed directions swiftly and joined Eric. A quick glance at the computer generated image on the screen and Ryan knew that they were reconstructions of the Aaronson shooting. He looked closer at the trajectory lines to the second window.

"Are those Turner's shots?" he asked casually.

"Yeah," Eric replied without looking up from his work. "Turns out she's a pretty good shot too. Calleigh just confirmed it. The three bullets in the victim are a match to the test fire from Viola's .45."

"Huh." Ryan spent a few more minutes looking at the sketch. Three dead on shots and he couldn't even draw his gun. She had saved his skin. "I should probably go see H."


	5. Chapter 4

Viola checked her watch once more as she printed the 9mm that had been recovered from Aaronson's house. Her shift had ended almost an hour ago, but she needed to tie up the loose ends. She needed to be sure that the man she had killed had been guilty. Thus far the only prints that she had recovered matched the one that Ryan had lifted off the crime scene.

"Stop working so hard. You're going to make the rest of us look really bad."

Viola jumped and spun around to see Calleigh standing behind her. The blonde walked up to the table and set Viola's .45 beside the dusted 9mm. "You did the right thing, Viola. Don't dwell on it."

"I know," Viola said softly, holstering her gun and returning the evidence to its envelope.

"Look, I know that you have had one hell of a first day," Calleigh said, helping her clean up. "A few of us are going to check out a new club in South Beach tonight, why don't you come with us?"

Viola smiled. "I appreciate the offer, but I have a lot of unpacking left to do."

"Suit yourself," Calleigh replied. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, scribbling onto it. "But here's my number if you change your mind."

Ryan drew in a deep breath as he walked down the hallway toward Horatio's office. He wasn't sure what his boss needed to talk to him about, but considering the tone he had taken in the hospital, he was sure it wasn't good. As if on cue, Horatio turned from the paned window and caught sight of Ryan, motioning for him to enter.

"What's up H?" he asked as casually as he could manage.

Horatio took a seat at his desk and motioned for Ryan to do the same. He then removed a gun, which Ryan recognized as his own, from an evidence envelope and slid it across the desk. "IAB released this to me a few minutes ago. You're in the clear."

"Thanks." Ryan holstered it and settled back into the chair.

Horatio took a deep breath. "Mr. Wolfe, I need to know what happened out there this afternoon."

"I told you, H-"

"I mean what happened to you, Ryan. You didn't draw your gun. This is the second time in less than a month that you have frozen in a shootout and I need to know that it isn't a pattern." Though his words were harsh, Horatio's tone was soft and filled with concern.

"It wasn't like that this time. I swear." Ryan sat up in his chair, resting an arm on the desk in front of him.

"Your eye?"

Ryan shook his head.

"Then what happened?"

Ryan swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. "I felt guilty, H. When that car window exploded and I saw the blood… I felt guilty. I know I was supposed to be watching out for her, but I wasn't particularly nice to her. You know? Anyway, I went to help her and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground."

"Ok," Horatio nodded. "But I need you to understand something, Mr. Wolfe. Viola can handle herself and she proved that today. She is a part of the team now and I need you to accept it."

"You got it, H," Ryan replied with a smile. And he meant it. After all, Viola had proved that she was good at her job. Maybe even better than him, though he'd never admit it. Besides, getting to know Viola didn't really seem so bad.

Horatio gave one curt nod. "Good. Now go home and get some rest."

"You got it." Ryan stood, gave Horatio a smile and left the office.

He had barely cleared the door when Delko came bolting toward him. "Wolfe! Just the man that I was looking for."

"What's up?"

"Cooper, Calleigh and I were going to go check out this new club that just opened in South Beach. You should come with us. The way you've been acting these days, I think you need a night out."

"I'm going to try not to take that as an insult," Ryan joked. "But it sounds like fun, lets do it."

"Great, meet us at my place at 10 o'clock," Eric said, starting for the elevator.

"Delko, did you invite Turner?" Ryan didn't know where the words were coming from. Somehow questions about her just seemed to pop out of his mouth without sensor.

Eric turned and shrugged with a smirk. "Calleigh asked, but she said she had unpacking to do."

"Hm," was all Ryan could manage before Eric walked off. He trotted into the A/V lab, hoping that he could catch Cooper before he left for the day.

"I hear you're coming with us tonight," Cooper said, only momentarily looking up from the computer screen. When Ryan didn't respond he continued. "So what can I do for you?"

"Can you tap into county employment records from here?"

Cooper sat up straight and quickly glanced around to ensure that they were alone. "What exactly are you looking for?"

"I just need an address," Ryan assured. "Can you do it?"

"You're not planning on stalking anyone, are you?" Cooper cocked an eyebrow at him.

Ryan smiled. "Just see what you can do."

"You got it."

Viola perused her cabinets with a scowl. She had plenty of food, but nothing seemed to be what she wanted. Resigning herself, she reached for the phone book and cordless phone. Though she wasn't usually one for takeout, she decided that today was an exception. Flipping idly through the pages, she settled on pizza punching in the number and ordering quickly.

She set down the phone triumphantly and looked around her living room. The house that she had bought for herself was modest, but it suited her just fine. After six years of living in crappy apartments and saving her money, she had decided that this move would be different. This time she would buy a house, with no loud neighbors or landlords to tell her what to do and a big backyard for Oliver to run around in. She smirked at her miniature beagle, curled up in a tight ball in a spot of sunlight on the sofa. How he managed to find his way up there was beyond her. The living room was littered with boxes of books and knickknacks, framed photographs leaning against the newly painted walls. The house was a mess, but she didn't mind. All the time that she was renting she planned exactly how she wanted to decorate her first home. Now she was nearly done. All of the rooms were painted now, save the bathroom, and her bedroom, guest room and kitchen were nearly unpacked. She gave a contented sigh and headed to her bedroom to change out of her work clothes before she started to paint.

By the time that the pizza arrived, she had already painted one of the walls of the bathroom. The moment the doorbell rang, Oliver was off the couch like a bullet and barking at the closed door. In on swift movement, Viola scooped him up with one arm and pulled the door open with the other. The delivery man gave her a wide grin when she opened the door and she shook her head. Her painting clothes left little to the imagination, especially in the Miami heat, and the driver seemed to be enjoying the view. She paid him quickly and closed the door, setting the pizza on the counter while she reached for a paper plate. She opened the fridge and reached for a newly opened bottle of white wine. Popping the cork out, she let it rest on the counter for a moment, navigating her way through the living room to the stereo. She slid in her favorite mix CD, cranking the volume and dancing her way back into the kitchen.

Ryan put his car in park in front of a small, stucco house just outside of Biscayne Park. Examining the slip of paper with the address that Cooper had unearthed for him, he glanced up at the house once more. The numbers matched. Taking a deep breath, he got out of the car and locked it as he made his way up the lot. Even from outside, he could hear the base of a stereo. He reached up and knocked heavily on the door, but there was no response. He tried again with the same result. Furrowing his brow, he tried to determine his next move. The patrol officer in him tried the doorknob, twisting it when he found it unlocked. He slowly pushed the door open and was met by a barking blur of white and brown.

"Oliver! What are you barking at now?" he heard over the cranked music.

Ryan froze when Viola came around the corner and into the foyer. Her auburn hair was pulled unceremoniously into a ponytail at the top of her head, a few stray strands falling into her green eyes. Against his better judgment, he let his eyes wander further down her body and he felt his mouth go dry. She wore a tight-fitting athletic top that stopped just above her waist, accentuating her curves and revealing just enough of her stomach for Ryan to make out the fine toning of her abs. Her sweat pants hung low on her hips and he shot his head up quickly before his mind wandered any further.

"Ryan?"

"Hey," was all he could manage. He fought to regain his composure, turning his attention to the dog sniffing at his pant leg.

"I see you met my protector," she said, scooping the beagle up in her arms. He smiled at her and took a couple calming breaths, hoping she wouldn't notice. Apparently she didn't because she shifted her weight to support the added weight of the dog and continued. "What are you doing here?"

That was a very good question. When he made the decision to go to her house it all seemed to make sense, but now that he was actually standing in her doorway he was embarrassed. He blushed, fighting to avoid eye contact. He focused instead on her arm, covered in bright white gauze. Taking a deep breath he felt another pang, this one guilt.

His eyes shot back to hers and he focused on finding the right words. "I just wanted to make sure that you were alright. I didn't catch you before you left the lab."

"That's very thoughtful of you, Ryan." She blushed and smiled sweetly at him.

He glanced down at his feet for a moment, biting his lip before speaking again. "Ok, so I lied."

Viola furrowed her brow. The shock of Ryan showing up at her door had worn off, giving way to confusion. "You didn't come here to see if I was alright?"

"No… I mean… yes I did want to make sure that you were alright, but…" Ryan cursed under his breath. He was usually so eloquent, but for some reason he was tongue tied. "Look, I came here to apologize. I know that I acted like an ass today. I'd like to say that I had an excuse, but you just have to trust that I am a nice guy having a very bad day… well couple of weeks actually. And I didn't mean to imply that you couldn't do your job, I just-"

"Apology accepted." Viola smiled sympathetically at him. He was being genuine. She did, after all, make a living reading behavior and Ryan wasn't very hard to read.

Ryan smirked, relieved that she had stopped his rambling. "So what do you say we start over?"

Viola nodded. "Have you eaten dinner yet? I just ordered a pizza and you are welcome to stay."

He nodded and closed the door behind him as Viola set the dog back on the ground and sauntered into the kitchen. Ryan tried not to look, but couldn't help himself. He busied himself by squatting down next to the dog and scratching him behind the ears.

"Can I get you a glass of wine or a beer?" Viola called over her shoulder as she carried two plates and the pizza box to the round glass table that was just beyond the kitchen.

"A beer would be great," he replied walking into the kitchen, taking in his surroundings out of habit. The kitchen, dining room and living room were all connected and open, a half-wall connecting them. All three rooms were painted a deep red and boxes were scattered everywhere. "This is a nice place you have here."

She sighed and weaved through the boxes back to the stereo to turn the music down. "It's a mess."

Ryan slipped the crust of his last piece of pizza to Oliver under the table, earning a disapproving look from Viola. He gave an impish smile and shrugged.

"So," he said, wiping his hands on a paper towel and carrying the empty pizza box into the kitchen. "What do you say we dance off our collective bad day at a club in South Beach?"

"It's nice of you to ask, Ryan, but I really do have a lot of work to get done here."

Ryan cocked his head at her. "How about this: I'll stay and unpack some of these boxes while you finish doing whatever you are doing and get ready. Unless you want to go out like that, which is totally fine by Miami standards I suppose."

Viola blushed and shook her head. She had forgotten that she was still in her painting clothes.

"Come on," Ryan pleaded. He glanced down at a huge cluster of boxes in the living room. "Books. I can handle putting away books."

"I appreciate the offer," she replied, taking a final sip from her wine glass. "But I have a particular order that I prefer to keep them in."

Ryan fought back the urge to laugh, but lost the battle. His lips spread in a huge toothy grin as he opened one of the boxes. "Categorized then alphabetized?"

She stared at him incredulously. "How did you guess?"

"OCD," Ryan replied with a smirk. "You should see my bookshelves. I do an impeccable job. Though my collection is not nearly this extensive."

"Alright, you win." Viola held her hands up in defeat. "You work on that and I'll go finish painting the bathroom."

"Done!" Ryan called from the living room an hour and half later.

Viola arched her back, groaning when she heard a series of popping. She dipped her edging brush into the paint and climbed back up the ladder to finish the trim. Had her skills not been honed, Ryan would have surprised her when he appeared in the doorframe of the bathroom, but she heard the soft pad of his shoes on the tile floor.

"This is some pretty heavy reading," Ryan teased, holding up a tattered book. "Shakespeare huh?"

Viola shrugged and turned her attention back to the trim. "My father was a professor of English Literature. I guess some of it stuck."

"Ah, that explains the name," he replied, thumbing through the worn pages. "Twelfth Night, right?"

"Very good, Mr. Wolfe, where did you pick up Shakespeare?"

Ryan smirked and shrugged. "Tools of a misspent youth."

"Well I am just about finished in here," she said, carefully climbing down the ladder. "Give me about half an hour to get ready, ok?"

Ryan nodded.

"Make yourself at home," Viola said before disappearing into her bedroom at the end of the hall.


End file.
